Knesset to be illuminated in purple to mark World IBD Day

The Knesset will be illuminated in purple on Thursday at sundown as part of the events marking World IBD Day, commemorated around the world each year on the 19th of May. The aim is to raise the awareness of the general public about inflammatory bowel diseases and the ways in which these diseases affect the lifestyle of those impacted by IBD.

Likewise, the purpose of this day is to place issues requiring national treatment on the public`s agenda and to seek further ways to improve the health of IBD patients. In preperation for World IBD Day, the European Federation of Crohn`s & Ulcerative Colitis Associations made a public appeal to countries that are members of the federation to illuminate their famous landmarks in purple.

Crohn and Ulcerative Colitis are chronic inflammatory diseases that are not medically curable. They attack the digestive system and are usually accompanied by other complications. The diseases lead to difficulties in functioning and negatively impact the patient`s lifestyle. For instance, patients are subjected to severe dietary restrictions, they lose work days, their social and family lives are hurt, and so on.

According to the Crohn`s Disease and Ulcerative Colitis Foundation (CCFI), the number of patients suffering from chronic inflammatory diseases in Israel is estimated at 40,000, of which around 2,500 are children. The number of patients around the world is estimated at five million (men and women equally). The activity here in Israel is led by CCFI together with the Israel Gastroenterology Association.